I have never been outside of Europe and N.A. but am interested in going to Sri Lanka to see the leopards, elephants, landscape, architecture. Thinking of a 11-13 day trip focusing on the National park(s) (Yala?) and would like to combine it with a short 3-4 stay in another city of Asia. We would be flying out of YVR. Looking for advice on possible tour (SMALL) groups and suggestions.
From what I had read so far, June seemed to be a good time to go to see the leopards.
We are:
-late 50s/early 60s
-have only been on one group tour, and were not thrilled (more than 16 people, everyone walked at a glacial pace, group dinners were not great food).
-have to be careful of sun exposure.
-love gardens, art, architecture, history, exploring cities, taking photos.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6811 posts
I have not been there (have been elsewhere in Asia a bit) but Sri Lanka strikes me as a slightly odd choice for a first trip to Asia, but tastes vary. I think you may find that to many from North America, your first time to Asia generally feels a lot more "foreign" than Europe did on your first trip there.
That said, if you're coming from YVR, there are a few fairly obvious connecting points: Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, maybe Singapore or Beijing. I'd probably suggest either Tokyo or Bangkok for a first time visitor, maybe Hong Kong - though very "foreign" culturally, all are pretty easy for tourists (and have a long history of managing with throngs of clueless foreigners). The challenge for you will be the heat/humidity (not to mention jet-lag, culture shock, and general disorientation from what I call "extreme geospatial displacement" - suddenly finding yourself on the other side of the world where everything can seem very different).
Do you want to stop somewhere on the way over or on the way back? These mega-cities can be a bit overwhelming. I would guess the countryside of Sri Lanka would be a lot more low-key than any of these cities. Do you want to finish the trip with intensity, or get the full shock of exotica and then unwind afterwards?
Honestly, your connecting city options will probably be dictated to a great degree by your airline of choice...
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I am planning a trip to Sri Lanka in January/February 2019. There is a good mix of wildlife and culture, but the sites are quite spread out. To see the key sites, at a sensible pace, I can't get the trip to be less than 22 nights. I am only planning on going there once and want to see everything.
Yala is supposedly the best place for seeing leopard, but there can be too many jeeps all vying for position - some times as many as 100 vehicles.
I am planning on using a local operator that has been recommended - walkingwithjith.com. Jith organises small group tours or tailor made holidays with a dedicated driver/guide. Despite the name, they are not walking holidays!
You could easily extend your stay in Sri Lanka by another 4 nights. The commonest flights are combined with Seoul or India.
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Jennifer, thank you for your suggestions.